Linda has an effortless way of attracting people who graces her. She came across a young Indian lady who wanted to take us to her work and show us around. I didn't see what the point was for us to see her office. I think it was more like showing us off in front of her coworkers.
She was kind to show us where the toilets were and we went. I had to tip toe. I had wished I did Ballet Toe Point. Such momentes makes me respect the Chinese system of separate slippers for the toilets. I have always understood why the Chinese did it that way but now I know, I have experienced. At the end of the toilet experience, Linda concluded for certainty that this would make it impossible for her mother to visit India.
She also showed us the dorm housing if we needed a place to stay for the night. Linda right away had an adverse physical response but gracefully and politely declined.
It was all very funny to me.
Showing posts with label Amritsar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amritsar. Show all posts
The Langhar
Today being a holiday, the Golden Temple was full since the entire city is on religious day off. We tried to enter the actual Golden Temple but the lines were long and after awhile of waiting and not moving forward even an inch, we decided to skip out.
We were hungry and went for the langhar. I like langhar in general. You sit in order in lines and the food just comes right to you hot. You can eat as much as you like and when you are done you take the dishes to the dish washing line.
Afterwards we went to the dish washing line and helped out with washing of dishes. It was fun to work with everyone. Try washing dishes with 50 other people for thousands at a time.
Golden Temple
The Golden Temple sits on the center of a pool of water. All the surrounding buildings are white and they make structure of a quad. The starch white makes a bright reflection of the very golden Golden Temple.
God Holiday
One of the first things we did was get train tickets at the ticket counter and sorted out our route. The man at the counter told us we when we would get onto the train and when our connecting train was and when we got off the train. We later found out that he failed to tell us it was over 24 hour train ride and we could not understand the ticket print out to ask. We didn't know any better.
We arrived at the Golden Temple on a God Holiday. We checked our bags in and shoes too. The ground was cold to walk on. I like the concept of no shoes, but on an outdoor grounds in India, I don't get the sanitary concept. As soon as you take your shoes off your feet is getting dirty by walking on the dusty ground. There is a running stream you walk on before entering the main steps. Well, the running stream is muddy with all the foot traffic. Then your feet is wet and it touches the ground and picks up more dust and now the feet is no longer dusty, with the water, it is now muddy.
Outside the main entrance was an area where a massive tea kettle was brewing chai for the masses. It reminded me of Jack and the Bean Stalk when Jack went up to the land of the Giant and everything was massive. Sweets were also in the making for the masses.
All the women walking in with heads covered and we did the same in respect with customs and culture. The Golden Temple was very golden. People prayed as they entered. Some people, men, bathed in the Holy water that encircles the Golden Temple. They do it in hopes for a Holy healing of all sorts of illness. The place was beautiful and peaceful. I really enjoy watching people pray. I like religious practices.
Steamy Frost
Linda and I got up early to head out for our bus. We had to wake up the house keeper to let us out since we were locked in by the metal gate. We walked to our pre-paid taxi driver who was standing by a bon fire on the street waiting for us along with other drivers. We later found out that there was a public bus that we could have taken instead of a taxi.
We met a lady from Estonia, her name was Kristina. She is a public conference speaker. She goes around and speaks at conferences and does some kind of training seminars. She is 30 years old and was also going to Amritsar. She is headed for a Vipassana retreat outside of Dehli after Amritsar.
We ended up staying together the whole day.
At the bus stop we took a long time to figure out where we were suppose to stand and which bus to get on. It was dark, there were no signs. I have no idea how we figured out which one to get on that was right bus because people tend to nod their head and say yeah, yeah to everything regardless if they understood what is being communicated.
On the bus, Linda picked out wich bench we would sit on. She picked one by the open window that was broken and did not shut. It was very cold to have that cold wind blow for the next 6 plus hours. I sure was glad that I did not out smart myself by having light layers thinking I'd be hot. I was so cold that I tucked my head to hid from the bone chilling wind and curled forward leaning on the back of the seats in front of me. I was so cold my feet went numb, my stomach clinched from being so cold. All the cold made me very tired and later gave me indigestion in the evening. By the end of the night I felt so sick I wanted to throw up and had trouble walking. I ended up just laying down early at night and prayed for a quick healing.
When it was day break, the bus stopped somewhere and I asked for the toilet. I was shown the open filed. Well, it was day light and one one side of the field was the train tracks with open running trains moving by very slow and on the other were shack full of chai tea stall with holes through the planks. In between was a grassy field covered in glistening frost and a few tiny bushes. In truth it wasn't much of a coverage. I went for it anyways and hot steam came through.
We met a lady from Estonia, her name was Kristina. She is a public conference speaker. She goes around and speaks at conferences and does some kind of training seminars. She is 30 years old and was also going to Amritsar. She is headed for a Vipassana retreat outside of Dehli after Amritsar.
We ended up staying together the whole day.
At the bus stop we took a long time to figure out where we were suppose to stand and which bus to get on. It was dark, there were no signs. I have no idea how we figured out which one to get on that was right bus because people tend to nod their head and say yeah, yeah to everything regardless if they understood what is being communicated.
On the bus, Linda picked out wich bench we would sit on. She picked one by the open window that was broken and did not shut. It was very cold to have that cold wind blow for the next 6 plus hours. I sure was glad that I did not out smart myself by having light layers thinking I'd be hot. I was so cold that I tucked my head to hid from the bone chilling wind and curled forward leaning on the back of the seats in front of me. I was so cold my feet went numb, my stomach clinched from being so cold. All the cold made me very tired and later gave me indigestion in the evening. By the end of the night I felt so sick I wanted to throw up and had trouble walking. I ended up just laying down early at night and prayed for a quick healing.
When it was day break, the bus stopped somewhere and I asked for the toilet. I was shown the open filed. Well, it was day light and one one side of the field was the train tracks with open running trains moving by very slow and on the other were shack full of chai tea stall with holes through the planks. In between was a grassy field covered in glistening frost and a few tiny bushes. In truth it wasn't much of a coverage. I went for it anyways and hot steam came through.
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